


Welcome Home

by TheHeightsThatWuthered (JosieRuby1)



Category: Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie
Genre: AU, Afterlife, Death, Death - Peter Pan, Illness, alternative universe, neverland - afterlife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 09:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16658876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosieRuby1/pseuds/TheHeightsThatWuthered





	Welcome Home

The child shivered, clutching the blankets closer around her as she tried to gain some warmth from them. She was beginning to forget what warmth felt like, it seemed like she was always cold these days. She had lost so much weight since the illness had started, between throwing up the meals she could manage and losing her appetite a lot of the time, the weight had just fallen off. The doctors had spoken about a feeding tube but her parents had disagreed. She had been through so much, let her last few weeks be as peaceful as possible.

She didn’t have much time left, she knew this. She didn’t accept it, she didn’t even truly understand it. She was ten years old and she lay in a hospital bed knowing that anytime she fell asleep could be the time she didn’t wake up. Her parents were by her side every moment, they barely left to use the toilet let alone for anything else. She wanted to burn the image of them into her mind, to make sure that wherever she ended up after this she would remember them. Was there anything after this? She didn’t know. She could only hope. She wasn’t ready to stop being. She had so much more being to do.

She fought sleep, although the fatigue clung to every part of her. Her arms had no strength to draw or play. Her whole body screamed to please lie down, even though she already was. The softness of the mattress was not enough for her pained and exhausted body. Her eyes drooped and she forced them back open. They drooped again and she thought she was going to drop off into sleep, but she jolted and she was awake again.

“Ella?”

She didn’t know when she had lost the fight with sleep but she must have because the voice woke her up. She was a boy sat on the end of her bed, he was her age, maybe a little bit older. She wore green and he had a red feather in his green hat.

“Hello, Ella,” The boy said as she sat up to look at him properly.

“Who are you?” She asked.

The boy smiled. “My name is Peter Pan,” He replied. “I’m here to take you away from all the pain and illness.”

“Away? To where?” Ella hesitated, then asked in a whisper, “Am I dead?”

Peter Pan nodded. “I’m sorry. But the place I’m going to take you is full of sunshine and fun. You will never feel pain or get ill or grow up in Neverland.”

“How do we get to Neverland?” Ella asked.

“We fly,” Peter Pan said. “Take my hand.”

His hand for outstretched to her and Ella climbed out of the covers she had swaddled herself in. She crawled to the end and took his hand. A moment later there was a quick sparkle of gold flying over her and both her and Peter Pan were lifting off the bed. They floated above the hospital room, and Ella looked back to see her body laying on the bed. She looked as though she was sleeping, except that she was perfectly still. Her parents had fallen asleep either side of her. She didn’t want to see them wake up.

“Are you ready?” Peter Pan asked her.

Ella nodded and the pair of them flew out the window. Ella wondered how far Neverland was and how they would have to get there. Holding Peter Pan’s hand, flying felt easier than walking ever did. They passed many places she recognised. They were high over Covent Gardens, the past Big Ben which looked even more impressive when they were right beside the ticking hands of the clock face. As they continued on, Ella realised she were no longer in London, perhaps no longer in the UK. Were they almost there?

“See those stars?” Peter Pan asked, stopping so that they were hovering, and point at the two brightest stars in the sky. They were relatively close to each other and the one on right was slightly bigger and brighter than the other. “We aim for the second star to the right, then it’s straight on to morning.”

They continued to fly. Ella no longer noticed the landmarks around them as they flew, instead she wondered what she would find in Neverland. Her mind speculated all sorts but nothing could prepare her for the beauty that she did find when they landed.

“Welcome home, Ella.” Peter Pan said.


End file.
